I recently helped my mum to move into a new house, which is always a time ripe for decluttering. As Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, I was tasked with arranging the kitchen cupboards, the utensils, the many millions of food storage containers and of course her selection of the best saucepans and best non-stick frying pans.
After over 20 years of living in the same house, her collection had grown more than a bit unwieldy, which got me thinking about which pans are essential to a kitchen, and how many of each type of pan you need. Here's what I discovered on my pan arranging journey, with the help of some cooking experts and professional chefs I whittled this list down to the 5 essential pans you need for your kitchen.
The 5 essential pans you need for your kitchen
1. A cast-iron casserole dish
Pictures of beautifully finished kitchens almost always feature a cast iron pot perched on the hob, but it's not just the look of these gorgeous pans that make them a kitchen essential. By buying a cast-iron casserole, you're securing one of the best possible cooking materials for your kitchen.
That's a fact echoed by David Smith, Head Chef at The Dipping Lugger, Ullapool, Ross-shire, Scotland, who says that 'Investing in good saucepans offers several benefits that go beyond just cooking quality meals. Durability and Longevity High-quality saucepans are built to last. They're made from robust materials like stainless steel, cast iron, or copper, which are resistant to warping, rusting, and general wear.'
Those highly regarded qualities mean you'll be making a purchase that will stand the test of time. 'A good set of saucepans can last you for many years, making them a cost-effective investment,' says David.
'Quality saucepans often come with features like oven-safe handles or lids, allowing you to use them for a wider variety of cooking methods, such as stovetop-to-oven transitions, making them more versatile in your kitchen.'
That's certainly true of cast-iron pieces from brands like Le Creuset, which are oven-safe up to 260°C. My cast-iron Le Creuset Casserole dish is my ride-or-die pan and is perfect for everything from baking bread to housing stews and pasta sauces. If you're looking for a more budget option, my Mum swears by her Habitat alternative.
The most iconic of all cookware, this round Le Creuset dish really is worth its weight in gold and is my most used pot.
Don't overlook Habitat if you need quality cookware on a budget. Not only is this pot gorgeous, but I can vouch that it lasts well too.
2. A non-stick frying pan
A casserole dish is my number 1, but there are some recipes in which nothing but a non-stick pan will do. To crisp up the skin on fish or meat perfectly or for a quick grilled cheese sandwich, you'll want a pan that you can recover any food from without elements getting stuck.
In my time testing cookware, I've found that the quality of non-stick pans can vary hugely. As with most things in life, I've also discovered that paying more for a non-stick pan means it's less likely that you'll end up with a cooking disaster when trying to flip an omelette.
My current favourite non-stick pan is the Our Place Always Pan (£130 from Our Place). I know that there are more than a few sceptics of the brand's non-stick qualities, but after almost two years with my Always Pan, it's still going strong despite everyday use. The trick, as with all non-stick pans, is to not blast the heat up too high.
Lisa Goodwin-Allen, executive chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant Northcote, agrees that a non-stick pan should be part of your pan selection. 'It’s definitely worthwhile investing in a good pan.' says Lisa. 'I think, if you're at home, or if you’re cooking in a professional kitchen, you always want to invest in your utensils. It's the same with a lot of things, you want to invest once, rather than having to buy things many times.'
'A good quality pan means it’s robust, it will have a good non-stick to it and it will have longevity, it will last longer. So, paying a bit extra initially is worth it.'
If you're looking for recommendations, Lisa Goodwin-Allen has a go-to. 'The brand of pan that's out there that everybody's talking about at the moment is the HexClad.', she says. 'These are very good quality, and I use them both at home and at Northcote. It is excellent for use both commercially and domestically. It's solid, it's robust, it's easy to clean, it's non-stick, it's great to cook in. It's just a good, all round very good quality pan.'
That's something echoed by our expert reviewer too, who recently tried out Hexclad pan in our review, calling it 'the thing to take your cooking to the next level'.
HexClad is a brand recommended by professional chefs and our expert reviewer after testing.
For a budget non-stick option, look to Ninja's ZEROSTICK range, which is a favourite of our Editor-in-Chief Heather Young for everyday cooking.
3. A stainless steel saucepan
In the course of researching and writing about cookware, I've spoken to my fair share of professional chefs and the one material type that almost every chef swears by in a professional setting is stainless steel.
Dan McGeorge, Great British Menu Champion of Champions 2021 and chef-owner at Vetch, Liverpool makes a case for stainless steel, saying 'I always look for multi-layered pans with the ability to cook on all surfaces as this improves longevity, so if you change from gas to electric or induction you are good to go.'
He adds 'You also want solid metal handles so that the pan can be doubled up as a casserole dish'.
My preferred saucepan set after testing is from Stellar, but for an entire set, the cost of a set like this racks up quickly. If you're looking for a budget alternative, ProCook is a tried and tested favourite brand of the Ideal Home team.
Induction suitable and simply perfect for pasta and rice with fast heat up times, this Stellar set is simply exceptional.
If you're not familiar with ProCook's cookware range yet, get ready for a whole world of great quality at manageable prices.
4. A Wok
This one is a no-brainer if you love a stir fry or asian cuisine at home. Unlike non-stick pans, woks excel at high heats, and give unparalleled control when stir frying and cooking with noodles. Woks also work well if you need to deep fry anything, with high sides and are a total winner for any saucy dish.
We've already tried out Joseph Joseph's cookware range and loved the innovative space-saving features. As woks can be pretty unwieldy, this is a great way to have one at home if space is tight.
This is the wok I use in my kitchen at home and for the price, it's a great find. It's metal utensil safe too!
5. A pancake pan
This might divide opinion, but I've found a pancake pan has become essential in my home. Not because I'm regularly dining on pancakes, but because it's also a total winner for other delicate foods like scrambled eggs and omelettes, and even for cooking delicate fish in a pinch. If you're a sceptic, get hold of a cheap one and see just how useful the thin material of this pan can be.
FAQs
How many pans do I need for my kitchen?
When it comes to a perfect number of pans to own, who better to ask on the subject than the professionals? Nina Matsunaga, chef-owner of The Black Bull in Sedbergh says that 'ideally between three and five pans' is the perfect number for a kitchen at home. 'That way you have flexibility, especially as you don’t want a large pan on a small ring or vice versa – It makes for inefficient cooking.'
Meawhile David Smith, Head Chef at The Dipping Lugger, thinks it's a case of the more the merrier when assessing your cookware. 'At the moment we have six saucepans at home, which is an ideal number,' he says, 'but I think I could get away with adding another four, that’s if my wife would let me! After all, you can never have too many pans at home.'
If you've got the space, we're inclined to agree.
